NOTE: I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First thought on reading the synopsis: the heroine's name is Abby! Finally, an Abigail I can actually admire. Not like the evil Abigail fromThe Crucible or, even worse, Taylor Swift's friend Abigail from her song "Fifteen". Any friend of Taylor Swift has officially lost my respect. (You know I'm looking at you, Lorde.)

Unfortunately, Abby wasn't quite as kick-ass as I wished she was. Sure, she thought about saving herself whenever she was captured by her super-evil mother, but who ended up doing all the saving? Abby?

As if!

Apparently, only heroes (or in this case Stephen) can be the ones to swoop in and save the poor damsels in distress because the weeping damsels are just incapable of saving themselves. Also, this is a small thing, but do we really have to mention Stephen's blue eyes so many times?

"when I stared into Stephen's sapphire eyes, I wondered if I wanted to be a good girl." (Kill. Me. Now.)

"staring at me with those piercing blue eyes of his."

"the look in his sapphire eyes"

"His blue eyes filled with such depth, such hurt, that I knew he wanted to comfort me, only he didn't know how." (Apparently the only thing he knows how to do is save damsels in distress.)

"I stared deep into his sapphire eyes, and a wave of sadness washed over me." (Sigh...)

"He turned toward me, and his blue eyes fixed on me."

"His eyes were so blue and deep that, for a moment, it felt like I was drowning as he led me toward the back of the room." (Drowning. Something I kind of wish she was doing right now.)

"His brilliant blue eyes sparkled, lips curling into a smile as he leaned in toward me."

"he whirled around, eyes like oceans of sapphire as he took hold of my hands and stared at me." (Oceans of sapphire? Dang, I wish I were that rich! Yes, I am resorting to taking a metaphor--or is that a simile?--literally to escape the pain of reading about Stephen's blue eyes one more time.)

"he said, glancing at me with eyes like an ocean storm as I followed him." (into the bedroom, where they did what bunnies do, to quote Ingrid Michaelson. Or at least that's what I wish they'd done so they could just get it over with!)

So why three stars? The plot made up for the lack of character development. As smart as I flatter myself into thinking I am, I would never in a million years have guessed the ending. That and the super-spy tools. Reversing gravity with a ring? You have to admit that's pretty darned cool. And the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy joke definitely improved my opinion of Cipriano.

"[Abby asked Donovan] 'What's going on with me, my mom, and everything?' Donovan sighed so loudly that it could have awakened the dead. 'I was hoping you were going to ask an interesting question, maybe "why are we here?" or "will you make out with me?" then I would have had a good answer.' He waved his hand as if blowing me off. 'Yours is barely worth the effort. I'm half-tempted to just answer with forty-two.'"